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BE Council says no to selling lot

By Staff | Jul 22, 2012

Selling several lots owned by the city of Blue Earth has proven to be more difficult than first anticipated.

Previously the Blue Earth City Council had determined to sell off two lots.

“There is no reason we need to own these pieces of land,” Councilman John Gartzke says. “The city owns too much land as it is.

One lot near the football field, with a market value of $24,000, was sold at the last meeting for $500.

But a $51 bid on a second parcel, near the Subway Restaurant and formerly used as a golf driving range was rejected. That lot has a market value of $13,000.

At Monday’s regular council meeting, two bids were presented but the council voted to postpone any decision on selling the lots.

“I want to know why we voted not to accept the bid presented at our last meeting,” Councilman Rick Scholtes says. “Was the motion because the bid was too low? Or was it because another bid came in late? If that was it, then I think that is not right.”

Councilman Russ Erichsrud agreed and made a motion that any action be postponed until they could listen to the tape of that previous meeting and determine why the motion was made.

At Monday’s meeting, City Administrator Kathy Bailey presented two bids. One was for $2,780.84 from Lee Smith and the other from G & S Drainage for $2,500.

Bailey also listed a third bid which was received just before the meeting, and after the time for bids had expired. It was for $1,011 from Doug Garlick.

Action on the bids was not the only action tabled on Monday.

For the second straight council meeting, the annual review of the city administrator was postponed.